1. Field of the Invention
The invention relates to a flexible ballistic resistant article of the type which can be worn to protect the wearer from a high speed projectile such as a bullet fired from a handgun or a rifle. More particularly, the present invention relates to an improved flexible ballistic resistant article having a thermoplastic elastomeric honeycomb panel disposed therein.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Personal use ballistic resistant shields, e.g., body armor, having a rigid construction are known. For example, in a common type of shield, the material used in an outer bullet-trapping layer essentially includes an array of metallic plates joined by tough flexible cloth to provide a wearable garment. These shields can provide effective protection but are uncomfortable to wear because of their bulk, weight, stiffness, and lack of breathability. Illustrative of bullet-proof shields having metallic plates or sheets disposed within are described in U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,187,023, 4,660,223, 4,004,493, 3,971,072, 3,894,472 and 3,829,899.
Also known are ballistic resistant shields which include high tensile strength penetration-resistant fabrics that are somewhat flexible. Fibers used in such articles include aramid fibers, graphite fibers, nylon fibers, ceramic fibers, polyethylene fibers, glass fibers and the like. For many applications, such as vests or parts of vests, the fibers are used in a woven or knitted fabric, and encapsulated or embedded in a matrix material. However, in body shields made from materials such as these, it is difficult to limit the risk of serious injury to the user while at the same time designing a shield having low weight, reduced bulk and appreciable flexibility. This is because the fibers of the penetration-resistant fabric stretch as they absorb a bullet's energy thereby creating a bulge at a back surface of the shield, i.e. a surface opposite the surface of the shield impacted by the bullet. The bulge at the back surface can transmit an appreciable shock to an adjacent region of the user's body. The bulge at the back surface of the shield, is referred to as the "backface signature", and the transmitted shock is called the "blunt trauma" experienced by the shield user.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,413,357 discloses a protective shield having an outer penetration-resisting layer comprised of at least eight and preferably twenty-eight individual superposed plies of close woven fabric of aramid fibers, an intermediate impact-spreading layer comprised of at least one ply of thin flexible impervious plastic sheet such as polycarbonate, and an inner or impact-cushioning layer formed from relatively soft and thick foam plastic that absorbs the impact and bullet bulge of the polycarbonate sheet.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,087,516 discloses body armor having an outer component and an inner component. The outer component, flattens and traps a striking bullet, while the inner component spreads the impact of the bullet. The outer component includes a pair of layers of flexible material at least the inner layer of which is high impact-resistant material having at least two juxtaposed inter-nested layers of hard glass beads between the flexible layers, each layer of glass beads being arranged in a close packed lattice pattern.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,196,252 discloses a ballistic resistant body armor comprising a substrate layer having a plurality of planar, non-metallic bodies mechanically affixed to a surface thereof.
A disadvantage associated with each of the articles disclosed is that a critical component of each is a relatively rigid plate or item, e.g. polycarbonate sheet, non-metallic bodies, or glass beads, thereby rendering the entire ballistic shield stiff, inflexible, heavy and generally uncomfortable to use.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,422,183 discloses a protective body shield including a honeycomb core arranged with the axis of each cell of the honeycomb panel aligned perpendicular to the body surface of the wearer. A layer of resilient foam covers at least the one side of the shield that is in contact with the body to produce a shield that is rigid and shock absorbing in the direction of anticipated impacts, but flexible and yieldable in other directions so as not to interfere with the movement of the wearer's body. It is clear from the disclosure that the protective body shield is not made from ballistic resistant materials and therefore unsuitable for use as a ballistic resistant article.
Thus, there is a need for a ballistic resistant article that overcomes the deficiencies of the prior art devices.